Venetian blind installation bracket



Feb. 23, 1954 H. NELSON VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION BRACKET Original Filed Oct. 4. 1947 INVENTQR HARRY NELSON BY a WM *7 ms ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1954 Harry Nelson- New; York, N. Y.. assignor to Lorentzen Hardware Mfg}, NIX a corporation; of New Corp New York,.. York Original appli'cationuoctoberz 4;.1947; SeriaHN 031.. 77831020. Divideduand thissapplicationgApriLZZ.

19.49, Serial N: 89,881

Thissinvention. relates .to Venetian blinds; and more-. particularlyto a ,so-called installation bracket for removably supporting .aublind. in .position adjacent. a-windowor. door opening", The present invention -issa; division .of imycopending application Serial N o..- 778,002,. filed. October 4, 1947, now Patent No. 2,629,434.

A: Venetian blind .isessentially an assembly of superimposed articulated. slats which. are sus-. pended from. ,a 1 headbar .extending across the .top of vthe blind and. on' which is mounted mechanism forraisingand tilting. the slatsof the blind This arrangement facilitate ;.-.instal1ation. of...the .,b1ind asaunit... Inthe. usual.construction,installation brackets, which are securedto the window jamb, are .used. to removably support .the..ends" of 'I'th'e headbar.

The installation bracket of the present invention. is. particularly adapted .for supporting a-socalled .enclosedrheadii in-.-W-hich thelheadbar. is hollow; often.being;formedofialightgauge sheet metal channel and-.moreor less enclosingthelift-i ing-zandtilting. mechanismlcf. thelblindi; Such headbars.usual1y. much;.,larger inmcross section than-wooden aheadbars in. which theslats .of .the blind, are. suspended" fromma. tiltJ bar rotatably mounted "onth'e.undzrsideoflthe lieadbar.v

In the-formshown of the-present. invention, the bracket comprises. a. sheet 'metal' stamping com sis'tinglpf a -.-generally rectangular fiat metal plate havfirlg bottom, rear inwardly at right anglesi'to the plate? Af-retainer is swingablymountedadjacent afront-corneriof the,plate.and..may be swung into closedpositionrii'rwhi'cha'front flange of'thecretainer lies infront :of and retains the headbar *omthedbwer flange of plate." One'feature of the-*present invention is-- that t the retainer; when swung =to closed: Position;- engages-aminclined' cam surface or the lower flange" so as to fdrce tlie-=ffeeend-"of the retainer tightly'against the platc;- alatcl'r' being 'providedbetween" the retainer and the: plate which" isimaintai'ned" in ti ghtengagee ment by the cami-actionnf the lowerfiangeonth'e retainer.

Aigeneral jobfie'ct "of the present invention is-to provide anlifnproved "installation bracket for en-' closedheadbarswhichiisi. adapted for economical quantitmproductionland.Iwhich islof pleasing ap,'- Pea-range... V

Amongnthetotherl. objc'ctsuof .Ithe. invention. are the provision of an improvedbracketizi. which thea'etainersiszheldetishfilyeagainstritheanlateeven aflteninormal weamhassoccurredlattenaiperiodeoi? usesandiin whiclathe retaineiz-lwheminrclosedpos and "top" flanges: extending siti'on. is ,maintained Q tightly .latchedfiagainst .the plate...

Further objects and objects Irelating to; details and .economies of Iconstruction,.manufacture and use will more definitely appearfromthedetailed description to follow.

My invention is clearly defined in the appended claims... Wherevparts are, for clarity, andfcon= venience, referred toon the basisvof their oriented position shown. in the accompanyinggdra'wingno limitation as to positioningrof the entirez'structure is to be implied, since it will" be understood that the structure may be invertedi. Also in both the description and. the claims, mans at times may be. identified by specific names .for clarity. and. convenience,- but such nomenclature is. to be understoodias having. the broadest meaning consistent lwith, the context "andi'with' the concept 4 of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. Th'e best'fdrmin which I have. contemplated. applying my iiivention is illustratedin the. accompanying drawing formingpart ofithis specification, in which:

Fig... 1. is. a. perspective. view. of a. left hand bracket,'. the .retainerbeing shown iii-partly, open position.v

Fig. 2 1 is aperspective .view of ja. rig'ht hand bracket, the retainerbeingshown in partlyopen posit-ion and vportions ofjithe .front flange of the retainer being broken away to show detailsiof construction.

Fig. 3l'is a left side ele'vati'o'mof,therighFhand bracket shown. in Fig.,2;

Fig. .4 .is. a top lplanuview in.F-ig.,2;'

Fig 5 is aihorizontal sectiomof .the, bracket; taken .onth'e line 5;. Sci Fig. 31

The brackets. are soldiand used-in pairs,.j.one bracket for the left-hand end'of the 'headbar; and one for the right-handend ofthe'h'eadbar. The bracket shown in :Fig; lis adapted 'toireceive'the left-hand end" of. a" headbar and the bracket shownin.1i!ig. .2 to receive the .right handiend of the. headbar. construction but ofppposite.handii. Thelcorree sponding parts of. both brackets willlbegivenlthe same reference numeralsr The. brackets consist. of 1.

ofithe bracket shown the retainer :and .-the.pivot... The body, .which is designated-asvaiwholez by l0, .comprisesa .on'es piece sheet metal stamping. The retainer, de'sig natedzas aawholelby i Iv, metallstamping. Thespivot is .formedmf aesuite able,conventional riveti 2; r

. These brackets .aiteoflthe .same.

only... three... parts,. which, for-.- convenience, will. be called. .the. body,-

is alsoaamoneepiecesheet The bracket body it comprises a flat metal plate It having a bottom flange to support the weight of the blind, a rear flange i5 and a top flange 11, all of which extend inwardly at right angles (towards the other bracket when in mounted position) to the plate it. The plate it may be provided with a small, inwardly-projecting bump D9 to act as a separator during electroplating to prevent parts of the bracket from nesting tightly so as to interfere with proper plating.

Screw holes 2%) are provided in the plate id and the top and rear flanges iii and H to receive screws or other fasteners for mounting the bracket on the lintel of a window frame or on the side of the j amb for a so-called inside mounting of the blind; or on a vertical wall or the front of the window jamb for a so-called outside mounting of the blind. in addition, a forwardlyprojecting filler or spacer 2i may be provided in the rear flange l6 so thata headbar will be tightly retained within the bracket without necessitating countersinking of the fasteners, and whether round or flat head screws be used, or even if no screws at all are used in the rear flange it as in the inside mounting. In this connection, see my application Serial No. 674,265, new Patent No. 2,526,393.

The retainer it may be swingably mounted on the front top corner of the plate Hi by the rivet I2, the rivet being received in round holes provided in the plate and the retainer to provide a pivotal mounting of the retainer. The retainer i i is generally L-shaped in transverse cross section one side leg or flange 22 lying closely against the inside of the plate M and the front flange extending inwardly from the plate hi at right angles and overlying the front wall of a headbar when the retainer is in closed position. The rivet 52 passes through the top portion of the side flange 22.

The side flange 22 of the retainer may be offset slightly inwardly adjacent its forward edge to provide a narrow shoulder 25 adapted to lie in front of and conceal the front edge of the plate M. This shoulder also contacts the top front corner of the plate 14 adjacent the rivet $2 to limit opening movement of the retainer i I, a portion of the upper front portion of the plate being cut away above the rivet l2 for passage of the shoulder.

A slot 26 formed in the lower portion of the retainer side flange 22 defines a projection 21 at the lower or free end of the retainer of length somewhat shorter than the balance of the flange. The projection 27 may extend rearwardly in the plane of the shoulder 25 to place the projection 2? more or less in the plane of the plate it, the remainder of the flange being offset slightly inwardly as above described.

The projection 21 on the retainer side flange 22 cooperates with an inclined cam surface 29 formed at the forward end of the bottom flange 15 (the flange remote from the retainer mounting) adjacent the plate M by cutting the flange at an angle, the surface 257 engaging the rear end of the projection 2'! upon closing the retainer so as to force the side flange 22 of the retainer sidewise tightly against the plate Hl. i'he lower, forward corner of the plate Hi may be cut away at 3B, the projection 21 substantially filling this cutaway corner when the retainer is in closed position.

A latch is provided for securing the retainer against fortuitous displacement when in closed position. The latch includes a depression El formed adjacent the shoulder 25 of the retainer, the depression extending for a short distance beside the shoulder. Upon closing movement of the retainer, the depression 3! makes snap engagement with a projection 32 formed on the front edge of the plate M by displacing a portion of the front edge slightly inwardly. Sidewise movement of the retainer H against the plate it upon closing movement of the retainer causes firm engagement of these latching elements as well as maintaining the retainer side flange 22 tightly against the plate, even after normal wear from a long period of use. A notch a l may be provided in the front edge of the bottom flange :5 to receive the blade of a screw driver or other prying instrument for facilitating unlatching and opening of the retainer N. This notch is preferably located in the bottom flange close to the plate Hi.

By making the flanges of the bracket body Hi and the flange 2d of the retainer a little over one inch in width, the headbar can have a tolerance of one inch in length without danger of dropping out of the brackets. Thus, by making the headbars in standard lengths in increments of one inch, all width windows between the shortest and longest headbar can be provided for.

I claim:

1. A bracket for supporting a Venetian blind headbar, said bracket comprising: a plate having a lower flange projecting from the inner face thereof and adapted to support one end of a headbar, and a retainer for retaining the headbar within the bracket, the retainer including a flange swingably mounted at its upper end for movement along the inner face of the plate, the forward edge of the lower flange of the plate having an inclined cam portion adjacent the plate engaged by the retainer flange to wedge it against the plate upon closing movement of the retainer.

2. A bracket for supporting a Venetian blind headbar, said bracket comprising: a generally rectangular plate having inwardly-projecting marginal lower and upper flanges, and a retainer having a flange swingably mounted against a front corner of the plate for retaining the headbar within the bracket, the retainer flange swinging along the inner face of the plate and the front end of the plate flange remote from the retainer mounting having an inclined cam portion adjacent the plate engaged by the free end of the retainer to wedge the retainer flange against the plate upon closing movement of the retainer.

3. A bracket for supporting a Venetian blind headbar, said bracket comprising: a plate having upper and lower marginal flanges projecting from the inner face thereof, and a retainer for retaining the headbar within the bracket, the retainer including a front flange adapted to overlie the front of a headbar when in closed position anda side flange swingably mounted at one end for movement along the inner face of the plate, the forward portion of the side flange being located substantially in the plane of the plate and the free end of the retainer side flange projecting rearwardly in the plane of the plate and engaging an inclined cam portion of the plate flange remote from the retainer mounting to force the retainer side flange tightly against the inside of the plate, a portion of the front corner of the plate being cut away to receive the projection on the free end of the retainer flange. I 4. A bracket for-supporting a Venetian blind headbar, said bracket comprising: a plate having a; lower flange projecting from the inner face 5 thereof, and a retainer for retaining the headbar on the lower flange, the retainer including a front flange adapted to overlie the front of the head bar when in closed position and a side flange having its upper end swingably mounted on the upper front corner of the plate for movement along the inner face of the plate the forward portion of the side flange being located substantially in the plane of the plate and the free lower end of the retainer side flange projecting rearwardly in the plane of the plate and engaging an inclined cam portion of the lower flange to force the retainer side flange tightly against the inside of the plate, a portion of the front corner of the plate being cut away to receive the projection on the end of the retainer flange.

5. A bracket for supporting a Venetian blind headbar, said bracket comprising: a plate having a lower flange projecting from the inner face thereof and adapted to support one end of a headbar and a retainer for retaining the headbar on the lower flange, the retainer including a front flange adapted to overlie the front of the headbar when the retainer is in closed position and a side flange swingably mounted at its upper end on the upper front corner of the plate for movement along the inner face of the plate, the lower flange of the plate having an inclined cam portion engaged by the retainer to wedge the retainer side flange against the plate upon closing movement of the retainer and the retainer side flange and plate being provided with a latching means consisting of a projection on one of the parts and a. depression on the other part which make snap engagement upon closing the retainer, the cam action of the lower flange aiding in maintaining the parts in latched position.

HARRY NELSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,200,510 Lorentzen May 14, 1940 2,203,372 Trammell June 4, 1940 2,255,326 Mintz Sept. 9, 1941 2,267,160 McKerlie Dec. 23, 1941 2,272,956 Stuber et a1. Feb. 10, 1942 2,296,625 Bird et a1. Sept. 22, 1942 2,526,393 Nelson Oct. 17, 1950 2,560,765 Haynam July 17, 1951 

